


Bleeding Out

by yankeetooter



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2019-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-13 16:41:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21176552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yankeetooter/pseuds/yankeetooter
Summary: Sadness if you read further...





	Bleeding Out

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize in advance. 😔

Valery went tearing down the alley way, his breath coming in tagged gasps. They had almost done it. So close to getting over the border, but somehow the KGB had got wind of their attempt. During the ensuing chase, he and Boris had separated to try and elude capture, with an agreement to meet up at a point just up ahead.

Valery slowed to a walk, holding his side as he tried to catch his breath. Boris should be waiting for him just around the corner.

____________

Boris ran down a narrow street in the opposite direction as Valery. He purposely kept his pace slow, hoping the pursuit would chase him rather than the scientist. He zigged and zagged through side streets, his innate sense of direction keeping their rendezvous point in his mind relative to where he was.

He rounded a corner, skidding to a stop. Three KGB agents had somehow headed him off. Before he could even react, a sharp pain hit his abdomen. That wasn't so bad, he thought, until he looked down and saw the blood.

Without waiting, the agents turned and ran off, no doubt going after Valery.

_No, come back! Do what you will with me, but leave him alone!_

But Boris understood why they'd left him. He was a dead man. They didn't need to bring him in. He would dead within the hour.

Slowly, Boris staggered to the rendezvous point, which wasn't too far off. Upon reaching it he collapsed to the ground and lay there.

_________

Valery's heart stopped for a moment. Lying in the alley in a pool of blood, Boris raised his head slightly as Valery ran up.

He smiled wryly at Valery. "You made it. I was hoping you would get here in time."

"Borja! No, you'll be okay! Stop talking nonsense!". Valery's eyes lit on the wound in Boris' lower abdomen. He immediately put pressure on it, eliciting a groan from Boris.

"Valera, stop that! There's no point now. It's too late." Boris reached out and gently removed Valery's hand.

"But, Boris! If we put pressure on it..."

"Valera, I've lost too much blood. It's no good. I want to spend my last minutes with you, not attempting some futile first aid."

Valery nodded, tears flowing freely down his face. Lying on the ground next to Boris he wrapped him in an embrace. "Borja, please don't leave me! I don't want to go on without you!"

"Now, Valera, cut that out. You must go on. If you don't...", Boris thought a moment, "I'll come back and haunt you!"

Valery looked up. "Oh, Borja, if only you could! Please, haunt me every moment of the day and night!"

Boris gave a weak chuckle, wincing a bit. "Okay, Valera, I'll haunt you. Now listen to me. I'm an old man. No, hush," this at Valery's protest, "and I want you to know that of all the places I've been, all the things I've experienced, I was never happy, never even knew what that word meant, until I met you. I will go to my grave having finally known love and bliss."

Valery was inconsolable now. He sobbed into Boris' shoulder. "Borja, before you came along, I thought happiness was a pile of books. How stupid I was!"

Boris held his friend, at peace with what was coming. A man should be so lucky to die with his loved one.

"Promise me you'll be okay, Valera." At Valery's half-voiced protest, "No, really, Valera. Find joy in learning, in your books, in Sasha..."

"But, Borja, there's no way those things could replace you. How can anything bring me joy again?"

"Valera, you found joy in them before and you will again. It may take time, but try. Try for my sake. I couldn't bear the thought of you never smiling again!"

Valery nodded. "I'll try, Borja, I'll try."

"Then that will have to be enough. It won't be long now. I'm cold, Valera! Hold me!"

Valery held Boris tighter. "I love you, Borja!"

And with his final breaths, "I love you forever, Valerka!"


End file.
